


In The Riptide

by mapsofhood



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-01 19:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5217341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mapsofhood/pseuds/mapsofhood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regulus Black fled from the wizarding world, after being revealed as a traitor. Where did he go? District 12 of course. Now though his unplanned daughter is turning 11, and he must reveal her true identity. Which may be more difficult to hide from the world when she is reaped for the 71st Annual Hunger Games...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Today marks my last day of primary school. Scratch that, it’s my last day of school, ever. People from the Seam only stay in school until they’re 11, after that they do whatever they can to make make money for their families. Being an only child with no mother I must work extra hard to help my Dad, but with no special skills and since I’m not really great with people, I will most likely end up begging fruitlessly for scraps on the side of the street. 

“Lily!” I hear a shout from behind me and twist round to face my best friend Sophia.  
“I’ve been calling you for ages, but you’ve been like totally zoned out. What's up?” Sophia is a pretty merchant girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, her family is rich and its easy to see it in the way she dresses. Unless some amazing twist of fate occurs she’ll be in school until she’s 16.

“Sorry, I was just thinking... this being my last day of school and everything.” I shrug and turn away from her. I desperately want her life, I would love to be in school for 5 more years, but unless I want to starve that’s not an option. 

“Oh, I totally forgot. I’m sorry,” Sophia’s pretty face twists with guilt, pity and something else; relief maybe? She must be thankful that she’s not in my shoes. Or maybe its disgust? That I simply can’t afford a full education. Whatever it is, it puts me on edge. 

“No it’s fine, I’ve known this was coming since I started,” I try to mask my disappointment, I need to make this last day a good one. After all Sophia and I aren’t going to be friends much longer. After today she will go to the posh merchant secondary school that I wasn’t clever enough to get a scholarship to, and I will be a scabby Seam beggar girl.

As we approach the gates I can hear the excited chatter of the merchant children waiting to go to their next school. They all stand together chatting about Crossbridge High, and their cute pinstriped navy blazers. Whilst just meters from them is a huddle of sad looking Seam children discussing how they are going to prevent starving to death before their 16th birthdays.

“Look I-” Sophia gestures to the merchants and I know what she’s thinking; our separation is already starting. 

“Just go. I need to talk to Layla about something anyway,” I look towards a dark haired girl standing with the other Seam children. 

That’s all the invitation my best friend needs, and she scoots off clutching her Crossbridge enrollment letter in her right hand. How did I miss that it was there the entire time? Maybe I just didn’t want to notice it and accept that she has everything I want and will never have.

I sigh and cross the playground towards the sad looking Seam pupils, staring wistfully at the richer children across the playground.

After 15 minutes of idle chit chat with other students the first bell rings, and we all trudge into our year 6 classrooms for the last time.

0o0o

“RING” The sound of the final bell reverberates across the entire school premises. Signalling for some the end of their limited education, but for the others the start of an even better one. 

Sophia grabs my arm “Come on, we’re having a year 6 celebration in the park. You’re invited,” She says it playfully, but I know what she means. The merchants are having a celebration, and Sophia has decided to let me tag along like a sad little puppy, but I don’t need her pity anymore. We’ve left school, and I have to do this on my own.

I promised myself this when I first started, I promised myself that on the last day of school as much as it hurt I would let Sophia go, she has a successful and perfect life stretching ahead of her she doesn't need a pathetic little Seam girl dragging her down and holding her back. 

“Sorry, Dad said I have to go straight home. Have a good summer, and I guess a good time at Crossbridge,” I shrug and turn away, signifying the end of our friendship. She gets the message. Hurt flashes across her face briefly, but she quickly composes herself, shrugs, and runs off in the direction of the park to have a good time without me.

I sigh, and when I’m sure she’s gone, turn back to look at my quaint little primary school for the last time before starting the 20 minute long walk home.

0o0o   
“Dad! I’m home!” I shout into our little box house as I step across the threshold. The house wasn’t locked. It never is, simply because we can’t afford a lock. It doesn’t matter anyway, there isn’t anything worth stealing here. 

The sound of the stairs creaking echo’s around the house, signalling my Dad coming downstairs. I grin, nothing puts a smile on my face like Regulus Black. I love my Dad more than anything in the world.

“Hey there Lily flower, how was school?” He asks, pulling me into a large bear hug. 

“Not bad, Sophia was really excited about Crossbridge, so we didn’t spend much time together,” I whisper my voice thick with emotion.

“You’ll just have to make new friends then, won’t you flower?” My Dad pulls away from me, wiping away the tears that have made tracks down my face. I make a disbelieving noise at the back of my throat that make’s my Dad smile. “A letter came for you honey” he says, leading me into the cramped back room. 

“For me? Are you sure?” I ask frowning. I don’t get post; after all who is there to send me any?

“I’m sure. It’s on the table,” He gestures to a cream coloured envelope that’s sat on the chipped wooden table. It looks posh, too posh for me at least . “Just open it,” My Dad sighs when he see’s me eyeing it with apprehension. I reach for it, and close my fingers around the silky envelope on the front are the words:

Miss Elizabeth Black  
6 Beckett Road   
District 12   
Panem 

written in fancy script. Apart from the lack of a postage stamp it looks real enough. I quickly turn it over and break the red seal at the back in order to pull out a very fancy looking letter reading:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,Chf Warlock,   
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Black,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. 

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall   
Deputy Headmistress.

Questions exploded in my head, Wizardry? 1st September? What the hell is going on?

“I-” My voice is scratchy, yet I have no idea why.

My Dad holds up a hand to halt my questions, “Look when I was 11 I got a letter very similar to yours, only I was expecting it. My parents had been Wizards and made no attempt at hiding it, quite the opposite, in fact. They were very proud of it. I went to this school…. Hogwarts,” He gestured to the name on the top of the short letter. “until I was 18, and quite ready to move on. Only at the time I was leaving school there was a war, a very dangerous war that most thought was far from finished. During that war I-I made some serious mistakes, and when I tried to go back on them it put me in a lot of danger, and I knew i had to get out. So I did,” He pauses allowing me to speak.

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?” I ask, hurt clear in my voice.

My Dad doesn’t quite answer my questions, instead he carries on with his explanation. “I was very young when I found out your mother was pregnant, and I chose to ignore it and come out here anyway. So when your mother was killed her mother sent you here to live with me. I knew we were both in danger, and I decided to let you think you were a totally normal kid. At least until the inevitable happened, and you got your letter,” My Dad finishes, making eye contact with me for the first time since I opened the letter.

I sit in silence for a while, contemplating what I’d been told, before saying “So where is this Hogwarts?” 

My Dad blinks in surprise that this would be my first question. “Uh Scotland, in the UK,” He mutters. 

My eyes widen “You’re British…. I’m British and you didn’t think to tell me this!” I exclaim jumping up from the rickety chair my Dad had dumped me in .

“Well yeah but-” My Dad started staring at me with a puzzled expression on his face.

“No Dad this is brilliant, I can get out of here! I can go somewhere where I’m not treated like scum by people the same age as me, what could possibly be bad about this?” I laugh.

“I don’t know Flower, I don’t know,” He laughs faintly pulling me into another hug.


	2. Chapter 2

“Dad, will you hurry up!” I shout impatiently up the stairs, “I want to get to Diagon Alley sometime today please,” 

It’s only a matter of seconds before I hear my Dad’s heavy footfalls on the battered stairs, “Ok Lily, calm down it’s still only 7:30 in the morning, and you're not usually up   
until 9 at the earliest!” He complains, running a hand through his messy hair.

“Well this is important,” I huff stubbornly, but when I see the threatening glare he’s sending me I quickly add, “but I’m sorry if I woke you from your much needed beauty 

sleep.” In a very patronising voice, clasping my hands together. 

"If you don't shut up Missy, you're not going to Hogwarts at all!" Regulus threatens. I should be worried, but I know and he knows it’s an empty threat. He’s just as excited   
as I am about Hogwarts. 

“Sure Dad, sure I’m not..”   
o0o0 

There’s a woosh of flames and suddenly I’m stood in a thin alleyway full of bustling people dressed in strange robes. Lining the streets are colourful shops, advertising things I’d never even heard of. There were kids playing with strange firework things, and marvelling over a brand new model of broom. “Diagon Alley,” I mutter under my   
breath “The most magical place in the world,” It seemed like it to me at least.

There was a second woosh, and my Dad was standing behind me. “Come on then, we need to go to Gringotts first,” and without further explanation (like what the hell   
Gringotts is!) he propels me forward through the busy crowds towards a large marble building that was sure enough labeled Gringotts. 

“This my little princess is none other than the world famous wizarding bank, Gringotts” My Dad gestures up at the grand building with a smile.

“Awesome..” I breathe jogging to catch up with my father who was already walking through the large, wooden double doors.

When I join my Dad on the other side of the doors, I am stood in a long marble coated corridor, that was lined with large wooden stations, with strange little men seated on the other sides stamping letters and talking to strangely dressed people of all ages. 

“What are they?” I whisper incredulously, raising my eyebrows in the direction of a particularly grumpy looking one. 

“That one specifically is Griphook, those generally are goblins,” He says gesturing first to Griphook, and then to the rest of the small gnarled creatures. "Well come on then,   
we need to get some money at some point today, if you're planning on starting this year," He says striding purposefully towards Griphook. 

"Excuse me," My Dad says with importance as he reaches the large wooden desk. 

The goblin sighs impatiently looking up from the stack of papers he was reading and stamping, "Yes?" He huffs. 

"I would like to take some money out of my vault," Dad seems unperturbed by the goblins lack of hospitality. "My names Regulus Black," he adds on the end as an a  
afterthought. 

The goblin narrows his already slit like eyes, "and do you have a key Mr Black?" He asks sceptically. 

"Of course," My Father smiles and hands over a small golden key. With the number 711 inscribed on it.   
Griphook scanned the key for a small amount of time before looking back up at the two of us. "All seems to be in order here I'll take you down now. 

o0o0

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” I say clamping my hand over my mouth, to try and force down anything trying to come back up. 

“You’ll be fine,” My Dad tries to reassure me, although I’m sure he’s noticed the way my face is rapidly growing greener, and the small sheen of sweat on my forehead. 

“Although just out of interest how much longer is it going to be?” He asks hurriedly realising my urgency to get off of this rickety cart that was speeding along some almost not there tracks into nothingness. 

Instead of gracing us with a verbal reply, the goblin decides to just slam on the brakes, and I almost hurtle off the edge of the cart. “Vault 711, Key please,” 

My Dad hands over the small golden key and the unnamed goblin inserts it into the vault door. The large metal door swings open almost immediately revealing piles upon piles of shining gold cylinders, which upon further inspection turn out to be stacks of singular golden coins. On the floor by them are rubies, emeralds, diamonds and sapphires, some on their own, some part of larger pieces of jewellery.

Its.. Its-” I stutter not quite believing how much money Dad has when we’ve been living in poverty for so long. 

“I know, it’s hard to think this whole time I’ve had this hidden away, but it’ll make sense to you one day when I’ve explained it properly.” My Dad looks at me begging me not ask anything. 

I sigh, but against my better judgement don’t ask. 

0o0o

“Right then what’s next?” I ask trying to be enthusiastic even though I desperate to know why my Dad kept all his money a secret. Of course my facade doesn’t work, Regulus Black can read me like a book.

“Look, Honey I know you're confused right now, but I promise one day when you're old enough to properly understand, I will completely explain it. For now though can we just go back to being excited?” My Dad sounds exhausted, and although I’m desperate for answers I don’t push it.

A resigned sigh pushes it’s way from my lips, all of my anger evaporating into the air alongside it. “Fine, can I get a wand now?” I smile, a huge grin that splits my face and lights up my eyes.

“Sure Munchkin to Ollivanders it is,” My Dad directs me back onto the busy main street, and pushes me through the crowds of brightly dressed witches and wizards. We keep walking until we reach an old chipped shop with a rotting sign. 

“Here we are,” My Dad pushes the door open sparking off a little bell above the door. The bell’s jingle must fill the entire shop because less than a minute later an old bearded man appears, fixing me and my father with an oddly calculating look over the top of his glasses. 

“We’re here to buy my daughters first wand,” My Dad says, confidently patting me on the shoulder. 

“And your daughters name is?” He asks coldly still looking at me over his half moon glasses.

“Lily Black,” I cut in before my Dad can answer. “My name’s Lily Black and I can speak you know,” I say defiantly.

Mr Ollivander laughs “Ok then Lily Black, I will be back in a moment,” and with that he swooped deeper into the shop.   
A few moments later he returns with three long dusty boxes. He opens the first box to reveal a long wooden object that to me looks like nothing more than a stick. 

“Chestnut and unicorn hair, 11 inches, slightly pliable, good for charms work,” He says as he hands it to me as though those words mean anything to me. 

I quickly wave it in expectation of something amazing when in fact all that happens is me blowing up one of the old books sat by the desk. My eyes widen and I quickly place the wand back on the desk and step back, on the other side of the room I hear my Dad snort with suppressed laughter. This could take a while.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading the first chapter, let me know what you thought/if its worth continuing


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